The Multiplying Factor In Sales Success

Mark has an attitude! Mark had worked in an operational capacity in the plant of a mid-western uniform company for over eighteen years. He had held almost every job in the production end of the business, from janitor to purchasing. One morning the owner of the company called Mark into his office to discuss a new job assignment. Mark was floored when the boss asked him to become the company's sales manager and take over the marketing department, which included the areas of sales and service. Mark had never sold before, nor had he managed more than a couple of people in his operational assignments. Now he was being asked by the owner of the laundry, at my recommendation, to supervise a sales team of three people, a route sales staff of nine and three service managers. My recommendation was primarily based on my observations of Mark as he gave me a plant tour a year earlier, as I started my engagement with this client.

After working for a little over a year in the sales manager's position, Mark more than doubled the number of sales over the previous year, even though he had let one of his sales representatives go for poor perform-ance. After two years, he tripled yearly sales levels and had to ad several more routes to cover the increased business. His route sales were up significantly over the previous reporting period and customer retention levels were at an all time high as well. With literally no selling back-ground or customer contact and little opportunity to manage a large group of people in the plant, how did Mark achieve the success levels that eluded the previous sales manager, who had nearly twenty years of sales and sales management experience? If you could meet Mark, you would instantly see what makes him a success.

Mark has an attitude! I observed Mark's positive attitude on my first and several subsequent visits to the plant. His great attitude alone was the reason for my recommendation to his boss to have Mark head up mar-keting for the firm. Mark made some mistakes as he took over the reins of the department before he was trained and coached. But a few mis-takes could be expected from his lack of formal training and promotional experience. However, Mark's positive attitude quickly helped him to over-come this lack of experience and set an atmosphere in the department that produced unprecedented sales success levels. He is so positive and optimistic that he is contagious.

For most professionals, achieving and then consistently maintaining a high level of success is difficult. For some, it is a frustrating and futile exercise. Like a person on a diet who never seems to find just the right formula for losing weight and then keeping it off permanently, achieving consistent levels of management or sales success eludes most managers and their representatives. All too frequently sales professionals drift in and out of success producing sales and management activities and never achieve the long-term patterns of success they are seeking.

As I have studied the success patterns of top sales professionals from all types of industries and from all parts of the country, I began to make an exciting discovery. I learned that for the 20% of the sales people who sell 80% of the goods and services in the United States, achievement or failure is controlled in large measure by their strong, overpowering will to succeed--an attitude. The top sales producers in this country are driven to succeed, giving them a multiplying factor in generating consistent sales success. This achievement drive, attitude, or "personal motivation," is the primary force leaders employ in attaining consistent sales productivity and high closing ratios. From this research, I learned that sales success for any manager or sales professional is possible, if he or she correctly applies achievement drive principles that top sales professionals consis-tently use. Once I learned how achievement drive (attitude) worked for sales people, it became clear that it was also the power in the lives of all successful people (managers, parents, athletes, administrators, volun-teers, etc.) helping people to achieve higher levels of personal and profes-sional success than their peers.

How could Mark double and then triple sales levels in his laundry, while letting one of his sales representatives go? Why are some people like Mark able to overcome a lack of experience, terrible adversity and obsta-cles to achieve greatness, while others, in spite of every advantage, turn their lives into a disaster? The answer is quite simple. Those that are successful in life have learned how to create an overpowering desire to succeed. They have mastered the art of programming themselves to build the achievement drive necessary to produce consistently high levels of success.

Studies at major universities show that successful people from every field of endeavor have a greater need to achieve success than their peers. No one ever attained a consistent pattern of success that didn't have this burning desire to succeed internalized. This desire, in turn, gives achiev-ers the energy, stamina, enthusiasm and compelling personal motivation to attain their goals in life. Psychologists tell us that when you see your-self succeeding, the very thought of success alone can often make a sig-nificant difference in the outcome of any objective that you might have.

People are motivated and directed by their dominant thought patterns. Successful sales managers and representatives have learned to develop an overall attitude of optimism, expectations of success and a vision of themselves succeeding by regularly programming their biocomputer to be successful. This programming, once in place, is the edge that pulls them toward their dreams and ideal future. You too can apply these same principles and program yourself to attain much greater lev-els of productivity and sales success and produce higher success levels in everything else that you do in life.For a tool to help you develop the multiplying factor, check out the Getting An Edge self directed learning manual at: http://TheSellingEdge.com/manual2.htm.

VIRDEN THORNTON is the founder and President of The $elling Edge®, Inc. a firm specializing in sales, customer relations, tradeshows and management training and development. Clients have included Sears Optical, Eastman Kodak, IBM, Deloitte & Touché, Bank One, Jefferson Wells, and Wal-Mart to name a few. Virden is the author of Prospecting: The Key To Sales Success and the best selling Building & Closing the Sale, Fifty-Minute series books and Close That Sale, a video/audio tape series published by Thompson Learning. He has also authored a Self-Directed Learning series of sales, coaching & team development, telemarketing, and personal productivity training guides. Check them out at:http://www.TheSellingEdge.com/Book1.htm

Vir den teaches for the Center For Professional Development, Texas Tech Uni-versity at Lubbock, Texas and in the School Of Entrepreneurship, J. Willard And Alice S. Marriott School Of Management at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. You can contact Virden at: Virden@TheSellingEdge.com, or learn more about him at: http://www.TheSellingEdge.com

---

Sales Predator Or Professional Sales Rep

From a customer's perception, it's easy for a salesperson to... Read More

How to Make Training and Development a Power Agent for Change

Does this sound familiar? With high expectations, you sent your... Read More

5 Ways to Increase Business Sales by Contacting Your Existing Customers

One of the best ways to increase your sales and... Read More

Success Secrets Of A Famous Vacuum Salesperson

I have to admit, I have an 'addiction'.Sometimes this addiction... Read More

Sales Marketing: 10 Sales Marketing Tricks To Explode Your Profits

Sales marketing online is an art that you must keep... Read More

7 Phrases You Cant Say in Sales

7 Phrases You Can't Say in Sales (Because They Will... Read More

A Sale in 30 Seconds? Its all in the Greeting

It has been said that a customer makes a decision... Read More

A Revolutionary NEW Dimension in Sales

A Revolutionary 'NEW' Dimension In Sales: Make many more closings... Read More

Spend More Time Selling

On average a sales person spends less than two hours... Read More

Peak Performance

One of the best books I have ever read is... Read More

Anticipating the Audiences Reaction

Obviously, you can not know all of the things that... Read More

The Changing Role of the Sales Consultant

"Leadership rests not only on outstanding ability. It also rests... Read More

The Truth About Sale Success!

Bill Brooks of The Brooks Group wrote an article several... Read More

Boost Your Selling Power With Your Call-To-Action Phrases

Look at your marketing material. Now, is there something missing?... Read More

Less is More: Quick Tips to Improve Your Sales

I'll be brief. If not ? I'll negate my own... Read More

It Is Not The Price That Is Keeping You From Making The Sale

Most salespeople are under the false belief that the lower... Read More

Top 7 Psychological Triggers For Unlimited Sales

Did you know that there are specific psychological triggers you... Read More

Survival On The Road! A Resource For The On The Road Sales Professional

It makes no difference if you are a Saleswomen, a... Read More

If You Respect Them, They Will Buy -- Closing the Sale

We've all had the unfortunate experience of being convinced by... Read More

Sales Closing: Dont Close Sales - Open Relationships to Achieve Multiple Sales

A lot is written and talked about in regard to... Read More

Top 5 Low Cost Ways To Get More Sales Leads And Sell More Without Cold Calling

Cold calling may now be outdated. People have become defensive... Read More

The Myth of the Natural Born Sales Wonder

When I researched the field of using personality inventories to... Read More

Selling White Space

Almost all Internet Marketers have a basic idea of what... Read More

Unleash Your Inner Sales Superstar & Win More Business Right Now!

It's a rainy afternoon on a typical mid week afternoon... Read More

Sell Without Feeling Like A Used Car Salesman

Many business owners and professionals are appalled at the thought... Read More

Increase Your Influence, Increase Your Sales

Selling is everyone's lifeblood whether they realize it or not.... Read More

Customers Do Not Know How To Ask Good Questions ? That Is Your Job

Customers will ask you a question and you'll proceed to... Read More

Sales Performance and Motivation: How to Get Your Edge Back

Performance and motivation are like chocolate & peanut butter; the... Read More

Sales Prospects Avoiding You?

This issue's topic on sales prospects comes in response to... Read More

10 Expressions to Avoid in Sales Communication

Keeping up with what words are in and out isn't... Read More

In Sales You Get What You Expect

If your mind is set, you will be unable to... Read More

Pressure Washer Business; Cleaning Composite Decks

There is a new trend in the way wood decks... Read More

Yikes - My Feet Hurt! 8 Tips for Trade Show Exhibitors

Yikes - My Feet Hurt!Concrete. Tiles. Cheap carpet. Walking, walking.... Read More